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Political Director (Sacramento, CA)
UDW Overview:
United Domestic Workers of America, UDW/AFSCME Local 3930 is a statewide labor union that represents more than 200,000 home care and family child care providers in 45 counties in California. Founded in 1979, UDW is a diverse, progressive labor organization that seeks dynamic, committed individuals who will support our members and those for whom they care locally, statewide and at the national level.
UDW is one of California’s largest labor unions. We consistently support and lead important social justice initiatives like fighting for racial justice, income inequality, and affordable health care for all. We are committed to respect and dignity for seniors, people with disabilities, and the children in our care. We fight for better working conditions and fair pay for home care and child care providers, and full funding for life-saving programs like In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and subsidized family child care. For more information about UDW, please visit our website at www.udwa.org.
Job Information:
Job Title: Political Director
Job Type: Exempt (Salary)
Department: State Government Affairs
Reports to: Sr. Director of External Affairs
Job Location: Sacramento, CA
Schedule: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (subject to changes)
Salary Range: $150,000.00 to 200,000.00/year (depending on experience)
Work Arrangements: In office
Job Summary:
The Political Director is a senior leader responsible for developing, executing, and overseeing UDW’s political campaigns and programs to grow the union’s power and influence to advance its mission. This role serves as the principal strategist for these efforts, utilizing the most up to date research and practices to elect UDW champions up and down the ballot and hold them accountable once elected. The Political Director represents UDW at the highest levels with elected officials, key stakeholders, and community partners. They manage all political staff, and oversees the candidate endorsement process, election data collection and analysis, and deployment of resources. They ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. As a member of the senior management team, the Political Director collaborates closely with executive leadership to align political programs with organizational priorities and values.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Develop and execute short- and long-term political strategies that advance UDW’s mission and objectives at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Set annual political power-building goals, priorities, and metrics in collaboration with executive leadership.
• Lead all aspects of UDW’s political and electoral campaigns, including voter registration, voter persuasion and mobilization, member to member, propositions and ballot initiatives, and independent expenditures.
• Oversee the evaluation and continuous improvement of political programs and initiatives.
• Direct the candidate endorsement process from start to finish, including outreach, interviews, communications, and make final recommendations to UDW’s elected leaders.
• Build and maintain high-level relationships with elected and party officials, , labor and community leaders, donors, and coalition partners.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with the California Labor Federation, Central Labor Councils, and other key allies.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate all political department staff.
• Lead cross-departmental initiatives and ensure effective information sharing and coordination among UDW staff and volunteers engaged in political work.
• Oversee political contributions, campaign finance compliance, and manage the budgets of UDW’s Political Action Committees (PACs).
• Ensure strict adherence to all relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards in political activities.
• Ensure all political activities are conducted through a lens of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Lead and coordinate training sessions for UDW staff and members on the electoral process, advocacy, and other relevant topics.
• Serve as a key member of UDW’s senior management team and participate in Board meetings as needed.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and handle sensitive information with integrity.
• Participation in UDW campaign activities, including, but not limited to, phone banking and canvassing union members.
• Perform other duties as assigned by executive leadership to support organizational objectives.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
• Develop the skills of staff through training, coaching, and mentoring, fostering professional growth and advancement.
• Organize workflow and allocate tasks, ensuring that employees understand their duties and responsibilities.
• Monitor employee productivity and provide constructive feedback and coaching to enhance performance.
• Receive and address complaints and resolve problems promptly and effectively.
• Serve as a liaison between upper management and employees, conveying relevant information and feedback.
• Prepare and submit performance reports, highlighting achievements, areas for improvement, and progress towards goals.
• Make decisions on rewards and promotional opportunities based on performance evaluations and merit.
• Ensure strict adherence to legal requirements and union policies and procedures, taking appropriate disciplinary measures when necessary.
• Perform any additional duties as assigned by upper management to support organizational objectives.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Expert knowledge of California politics, political party processes and infrastructure, , voter persuasion and mobilization techniques, data collection and analytics, power mapping, and power building.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, lead, and execute complex political and advocacy strategies.
• Superior political acumen, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking and persuasive messaging.
• Strong relationship-building skills with legislators, policymakers, donors, and community leaders.
• In-depth knowledge of campaign finance regulations and compliance requirements.
• Experience managing large teams, budgets, and multi-faceted projects.
• Proficiency with political databases, project management, and voter engagement tools.
• Commitment to ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience using the most up to date digital tools and social media for advocacy and outreach.
• Dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of political work.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Law, or a related field.
• 7-10years of experience developing, leading and/or executing electoral and/or political campaigns.
• Proven experience in building diverse coalitions, influencing decision-makers, and successfully advocating for policy change.
• Significant experience managing and leading teams, overseeing projects, and coordinating advocacy efforts.
• Skilled with political databases, project management, and voter engagement tools.
• Established network of contacts within political circles, including legislators, policymakers, and advocacy groups.
• Experience in crisis management, issue mitigation, and conflict resolution within a political context.
Requirements:
• Willingness to travel extensively with reliable transposition, and ability to work flexible hours and work long and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends.
Employee Benefits:
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life / AD&D
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Pension Plan
• Paid Vacation Days
• Paid Sick Leave
• Personal Day (8 hours)
• 16 Paid Holiday
• Floating Holiday
• Upskilling through eLearning Platforms
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is required to stand, walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is primarily exposed to an office-type environment. The employee will frequently work on or around office equipment and furniture. The noise level in the work environment is low to moderate. The employee will frequently work with deadlines under pressure and will occasionally be required to work alone. The employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor environments which can include exposure to vehicles, moving mechanical parts; vibration; odors, fumes, gases, smoke, dust, or airborne particles; and outside weather conditions.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
UDWA is an equal opportunity employer, and, as such, does not discriminate against an employee or applicant based on race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, disability, or any other classification protected from discrimination under applicable law.
Notice of E-Verify Participation:
This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E-Verify, or if you believe that your employer has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact DHS (888) 897-7781, dhs.gov/e-verify
Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community are strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply for this position, please visit UDW’s career page and submit your application.
UDW’s career link → https://udwa.hiringplatform.com/list/careers